Templates are among the most powerful features of C++, but they are too often neglected, misunderstood, and misused. C++ Templates: The Complete Guide provides software architects and engineers with a clear understanding of why, when, and how to use templates to build and maintain cleaner, faster, and smarter software more efficiently.

C++ Templates begins with an insightful tutorial on basic concepts and language features. The remainder of the book serves as a comprehensive reference, focusing first on language details, then on a wide range of coding techniques, and finally on advanced applications for templates. Examples used throughout the book illustrate abstract concepts and demonstrate best practices.

• The exact behaviors of templates
• How to avoid the pitfalls associated with templates
• Idioms and techniques, from the basic to the previously undocumented
• How to reuse source code without threatening performance or safety
• How to increase the efficiency of C++ programs
• How to produce more flexible and maintainable software
• This practical guide shows programmers how to exploit the full power of the template features in C++.

Contents

Acknowledgments.

• About This Book.

• Function Templates.
• Class Templates.
• Nontype Template Parameters.
• Tricky Basics.
• Using Templates in Practice.
• Basic Template Terminology.

• Fundamentals in Depth.
• Names in Templates.
• Instantiation.
• Template Argument Deduction.
• Specialization and Overloading.
• Future Directions.

• The Polymorphic Power of Templates.
• Traits and Policy Classes.
• Templates and Inheritance.
• Metaprograms.
• Expression Templates.

• Type Classification.
• Smart Pointers.
• Tuples.
• Function Objects and Callbacks.

• A: The One-Definition Rule.
• B: Overload Resolution.